"Nobody Can Save Me" is the first track on One More Light. The song is described as a glitch, representing (as the album opener) a rebirth in the band's career.[1] The band feels that "Nobody Can Save Me" is one of the foundational songs of the album, starting an emotional arc.[2]

Contents

Background

On January 14, 2016, Gabriela Velichkova, a Southampton Solent University student, posted a picture of her with Jon Green on Twitter with the caption "Just met Jon Green! Working on new stuff with @linkinpark at the moment. Can't wait to hear the final project! ^_^"[3]

Jon Green is the singer of the English band The Bonfires. Both bands were at the Larrabee Studios in November 2015.

On February 24, 2016, a live feed from the studio was made through Linkin Park's official Facebook page showing Brad Delson, Jon Green, and Mike Shinoda working on lyrics for a new song.[4]

On April 7, 2016, Ethan Mates posted a picture of his computer on Facebook showing a folder called "LP Album 7 Main". Inside the folder, there was a file named "Nobody Can Save Me J Green 2". The image was apparently posted by mistake, because it was immediately removed. On the 28th of that month, Joe Hahn posted on his Instagram account a picture of Jon Green with a songboard behind him, indicating he was back at Linkin Park's studio. The picture was immediately removed from his account and The Bonfires later uploaded a blurred version of the picture to their account.[5]

Mike Shinoda went on to say Jon Green really related well with Chester.[6]

Before playing the song live in Kraków on June 15, 2017, Mike said, "So we have a new album out, it is called One More Light. And as we are making an album, there are always certain songs that stand out to each of us and to help define the course of the record. And to me, this was always one song, that I felt like, that I really wanted to save and I didn't want people to hear until they heard the whole album. And that's why we put it first on the record. This is actually, this is only the second time we've ever played it too. So you guys get a.. you're the second crowd, so.... this one is called Nobody Can Save Me."[7]

Versions

Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.

Live

Speech before the song recorded in Kraków on June 15, 2017. Parts of the song recorded both at the same show and in London on July 4, 2017.

Part of Chester's lyrical mistake during the last chorus of the London show was edited out and replaced with a line from the same chorus from the Kraków show.

Live

While rehearsing for the One More Light European Tour, Mike Shinoda posted a photo on Instagram with the caption "Playing and singing a new one. This one is kinda challenging; I didn't play and sing the parts at the same time in the studio. Have to practice it over and over until muscle memory takes over ha"[8] Fans first thought the song was Sorry For Now, but he later replied to the comments saying "It's not Sorry For Now." The song later wound up being "Nobody Can Save Me".

"Nobody Can Save Me" got its live debut at the Berlin stop on the One More Light European Tour, replacing "Battle Symphony". The two songs would rotate every show that the full setlist was played. At the band's special "One More Night in London" show, Jon Green, who helped writing the song, came out to play guitar on the song. At the show dedicated to the late Chester Bennington, "Nobody Can Save Me" was played with both Jon Green and Steven McKellar from Civil Twilight. This performance also had an extended intro with Green playing guitar and Green, McKellar, and Mike Shinoda singing the chorus of the song. This version was also played a half step lower than the album version.